Anomalies in India’s Launch| SpaceX’s Starlink Expansion| Cosmic Dawn Signals: Your Daily Space...

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna.


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>> And I'm Avery. Hello everyone. Thanks


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for joining us. Today is January 12th,


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2026. And we've got a full show.


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Launches and anomalies, regulatory moves


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that reshape low Earth orbit, a brand


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new exoplanet observatory on its way, a


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flash from the cosmic dawn, fresh


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results about what powers the sun's


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strongest flares, and a galaxy discovery


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that looks surprisingly familiar for the


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early universe.


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>> Yep, six stories, all of them important


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in different ways. We'll start with this


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morning's launch news from India.


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India's polar satellite launch vehicle,


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the PSLVc62


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lifted off from Satic Darwin Space


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Center this morning carrying EOS-N1


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described as an advanced Earth


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observation/military


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surveillance satellite along with a


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batch of co-passenger payloads. The


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mission marked ISRO's first launch


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attempt since a PSLV anomaly in May


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2025. So, there was a lot writing on it,


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>> right? The liftoff itself looked


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nominal, but ISRO later reported an


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anomaly near the end of the third stage,


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the PS3. Initial public statements


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indicate a deviation in the third stages


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phase, and that ISRO has begun a


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detailed analysis. At this stage, it's


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not yet confirmed whether the primary


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satellite and co-passengers reached


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their planned orbits. Those early stage


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deviations can be especially challenging


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because they often happen during staging


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or engine cutoff phases where timing and


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velocity are critical. ISRO has a long


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successful history with the PSLV family.


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But even reliable vehicles can have


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single event anomalies. The important


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thing is how the agency responds.


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Recovering telemetry, diagnosing the


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root cause, and transparently sharing


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findings so confidence can be rebuilt.


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>> Absolutely. From a broader perspective,


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this mission also demonstrates the


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global nature of small sat ride shares


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and the strategic value that Earth


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observation satellites deliver, whether


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for commercial or defense purposes.


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We'll keep an eye on ISRO's follow-up.


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They typically publish an analysis after


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they comb through flight data.


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>> And we'll link to the official


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statements in the episode notes for


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folks who want the primary sources. Next


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up in the US, the Federal Communications


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Commission granted SpaceX authorization


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to deploy an additional 7500 Starlink


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second generation satellites. That's a


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partial approval within a broader SpaceX


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request for up to 15,000 Gen 2.


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>> This is a big step for the company's


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plan to upgrade Starlink's capabilities.


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higher throughput, lower latency, and


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expanded services, including directto


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cell connectivity and higher data rates.


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The FCC's partial grant means SpaceX can


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move forward with a substantial


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expansion while regulators and other


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stakeholders continue to evaluate the


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remainder of the proposal. There are a


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couple of important implications


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operationally. Many more Starlink nodes


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in low Earth orbit will increase global


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broadband capacity, particularly for


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underserved and rural regions. But it


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also intensifies ongoing concerns about


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orbital crowding, radio frequency


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coordination, and long-term space


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sustainability.


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>> Right? Competitors and some academics


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have raised worries about spectrum


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interference, orbital dominance, and the


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cumulative effect of so many satellites


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on debris risk and astronomical


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observing. SpaceX says it will


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coordinate reconfiguration steps, for


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example, lowering orbits for safety and


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using de-orbiting strategies, but


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regulators and the international


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community will be watching closely.


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>> So, this is both a technical and policy


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story. The authorization moves the


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technology forward, but it also keeps


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the conversation going about how to


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manage low Earth orbit responsibly as it


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becomes busier.


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>> On a more exploratory note, SpaceX


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successfully launched a Falcon 9 right


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share mission that included NASA's


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Pandora satellite. Pandora is a compact


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astrophysics mission designed to study


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the atmospheres of at least 20


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exoplanets and their host stars over


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about a year of operations. Pandora's


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key strength is that it's optimized to


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disentangle the light coming from an


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exoplanet and the star it orbits.


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Stellar activity, spots, flares, and


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magnetic variability can mimic or mask


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atmospheric signals from exoplanets.


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Pandora carries a 045 meter telescope


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and a suite of instruments aimed at


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measuring both the stars variability and


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the planet's transmission signals,


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improving the accuracy of atmospheric


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composition measurements. That kind of


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targeted mission is exactly what the


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exoplanet community needs. Now, large


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observatories like JWST do outstanding


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detailed work, but focused missions such


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as Pandora can observe many systems in a


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systematic way and help build context.


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Pandora will feed into priorities for


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future larger missions that aim to


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detect specific molecules, even bio


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signatures in exoplanet atmospheres.


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It's also another example of efficient


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ride share launches enabling specialized


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science payloads. Pandora joining a


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larger commercial launch shows how the


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landscape of getting small science


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spacecraft to orbit has matured.


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>> Turning to the distant universe,


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astronomers recently reported detecting


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a very brief 10-second flash that


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originated roughly 13 billion lighty


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years away. This is being interpreted as


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light from an extremely distant


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supernova. One of the farthest, if not


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the farthest, stellar explosions


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observed so far.


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>> The detection combined data from


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multiple instruments, including wide


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field X-ray monitors and follow-on


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observations by facilities such as the


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James Web Space Telescope. The event is


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remarkable because it lets astronomers


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study stellar death and the environments


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of massive stars in the early universe


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when galaxies were young and metal


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content was low.


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>> Observing such distant explosions is


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rare because cosmological red shift and


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faintness make them hard to spot. When


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one is found, it can reveal the


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properties of the progenitor star, the


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host galaxy, and the intergalactic


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medium at a time when cosmic structure


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was still forming. There are also ties


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to gamma ray bursts and extreme


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transient phenomena. Researchers will be


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investigating whether models for super


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luminous supernova or exotic explosions


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match this event.


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>> This detection emphasizes how


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multi-wavelength coordinated observing


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campaigns. Fast alerts from one


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instrument followed by deep telescope


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follow-up are essential for studying the


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transient universe, especially at high


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red shift. Back closer to home, solar


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physicists have new insight into the


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engine behind the sun's most violent


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flares and the intense gamma rays they


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sometimes unleash. Researchers


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identified a previously unrecognized


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population of extremely energetic


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particles in the sun's upper atmosphere


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that appear to be a major source of


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those high energy photons. The finding


00:07:16.080 --> 00:07:18.150
comes from combining longduration


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observations and specialized instruments


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capable of measuring particle


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populations and gammaray signatures. The


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upshot is that magnetic reconnection and


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particle acceleration processes in flare


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regions are more complex than some


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simple models suggested. In particular,


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the upper layers of the solar


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atmosphere, where magnetic fields


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reconnect and release energy, can trap


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and accelerate particles to mega


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electron volts, energies that then


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produce gamma rays.


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>> This matters for space weather


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prediction. Gamma rays and energetic


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particles accompany the most extreme


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flares and can affect satellites, radio


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communications, and radiation exposure


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for astronauts and high-flying aircraft.


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By better understanding where and how


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particles are accelerated, models of


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flare impact and forecasts of space


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weather can be improved.


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>> It's also a good reminder that our sun


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still surprises us. Even with decades of


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observations and multiple solar


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missions, new diagnostics and longer


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observation windows revealed previously


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hidden physics.


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>> Finally, one of the most visually


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intriguing stories. Astronomers have


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identified a barred spiral galaxy whose


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light comes from approximately 11.5


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billion years ago about 2 billion years


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after the Big Bang. If confirmed, this


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object would be among the earliest bars


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and spiral structures seen in the


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universe.


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>> Bars are elongated stellar structures


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that can drive internal evolution in


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galaxies. They funnel gas toward the


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center, trigger star formation, and


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rearrange angular momentum. Finding a


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well-defined bar so early means that


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disc galaxies could develop mature


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internal structures sooner than many


00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:04.710
models predicted.


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>> The discovery was enabled by deep


00:09:06.959 --> 00:09:09.190
spectroscopically confirmed imaging from


00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.509
powerful telescopes, Hubble and other


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facilities and careful analysis of the


00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.070
galaxy's stellar and morphological


00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.710
properties. The object sits in a growing


00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:21.670
collection of surprising early galaxies.


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Some are massive and evolved earlier


00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:26.150
than expected. Others show complex


00:09:26.160 --> 00:09:28.150
morphologies previously thought to


00:09:28.160 --> 00:09:30.710
require long time scales to form.


00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.190
>> These results feed directly into galaxy


00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.590
formation theory. They force modelers to


00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.070
consider rapid disc settling, efficient


00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.389
angular momentum redistribution and


00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.389
other processes that could build bars


00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:44.790
early. It's an exciting reminder that


00:09:44.800 --> 00:09:47.030
the early universe may have been both


00:09:47.040 --> 00:09:49.190
more active and more varied than our


00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.230
simplest expectations. So looking across


00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:54.470
today's stories, we have an operational


00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:56.550
launch with an anomaly that will require


00:09:56.560 --> 00:09:59.430
analysis, a regulatory decision that


00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:02.389
reshapes near Earth space, a dedicated


00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:05.509
exoplanet mission now in orbit, a signal


00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:07.670
from the cosmic dawn giving a rare


00:10:07.680 --> 00:10:10.150
window into early stellar deaths,


00:10:10.160 --> 00:10:12.150
improved understanding of particle


00:10:12.160 --> 00:10:14.790
acceleration on the sun, and an early


00:10:14.800 --> 00:10:17.190
galaxy that challenges our ideas of how


00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:19.750
quickly structure forms. It's a nice


00:10:19.760 --> 00:10:22.389
mix, isn't it? Local space operations


00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:24.870
and policy, near-earth infrastructure


00:10:24.880 --> 00:10:27.590
and its implications, targeted planetary


00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.069
science, time domain extragalactic


00:10:30.079 --> 00:10:32.230
astronomy, solar physics, and


00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.710
cosmological structure formation. For


00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:36.790
listeners, it shows how broad and


00:10:36.800 --> 00:10:38.630
interconnected modern astronomy and


00:10:38.640 --> 00:10:40.230
space activity are.


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>> Two quick takeaways. First, watch for


00:10:42.959 --> 00:10:45.990
ISRO's followup on the PSLV anomaly.


00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.750
that will affect launch schedules and


00:10:47.760 --> 00:10:50.069
the broader small sack community.


00:10:50.079 --> 00:10:52.470
Second, the more we push instruments and


00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:54.949
coordination like fast transients and


00:10:54.959 --> 00:10:57.269
small science satellites, the more


00:10:57.279 --> 00:10:59.269
corner cases we find that reshape


00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:01.990
theory. Discoveries often come when new


00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:03.990
instruments or different organizational


00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.069
approaches are applied. And for the


00:11:06.079 --> 00:11:07.990
non-scientists out there wondering what


00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.389
to look for tonight, Jupiter is still a


00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:12.389
good target if you're out stargazing.


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and aurora watchers should keep an eye


00:11:14.160 --> 00:11:16.710
on space weather forecasts as the sun's


00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:18.710
activity continues to produce strong


00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:19.590
events.


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>> That's it for today's episode. If you


00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:23.910
enjoyed the show, subscribe to Astronomy


00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:25.670
Daily on your preferred podcast


00:11:25.680 --> 00:11:28.150
platform. You can find links, source


00:11:28.160 --> 00:11:29.750
articles, and further reading in the


00:11:29.760 --> 00:11:31.750
episode notes so you can dig deeper if


00:11:31.760 --> 00:11:32.550
you wish.


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>> We love hearing from listeners. If you


00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:36.710
have questions, science topics you'd


00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:38.630
like us to cover, or feedback about the


00:11:38.640 --> 00:11:40.230
show, drop us a note through the


00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.550
Astronomy Daily website. You can find us


00:11:42.560 --> 00:11:44.949
at astronomydaily.io.


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>> Thanks for listening. I'm Avery


00:11:46.959 --> 00:11:49.350
>> and I'm Anna. Clear skies and we'll see


00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.430
you tomorrow on Astronomy Daily.


00:11:51.440 --> 00:12:10.470
>> Astronomy Daily.


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Stories were told.